From Diddy to Ja Rule, ain’t nobody safe from Eminem.
Ever since he dropped his iconic debut single ‘Just Don’t Give a Fuck’ back in 1998, Eminem’s career has been one long, glorious streak of unapologetic chaos. And we love it.
Em has made it his mission to say whatever the hell he wants, whenever the hell he wants. And let’s be real—most of the time, those thoughts have been laser-focused disses aimed at, well, anyone and everyone who crosses his mind. That unfiltered honesty is on full display in The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), where he dives headfirst into a whirlwind of verbal gymnastics and wildly creative insults directed at a motley crew of enemies and hapless bystanders. But don’t think these shots are just scattergun—there’s a method to the madness.
This album is a concept piece, setting the stage for one final showdown between Marshall Mathers and his infamous alter ego, Slim Shady. Picture this: Marshall is kidnapped and forced to pen some of the most controversial verses of his career, taking aim at a mix of old foes and potential new targets.
This setup gives Em the perfect excuse to let loose, hurling sharp-edged jabs at everyone from Diddy to the late Christopher Reeve, all while indulging his most devilish inclinations. It’s Eminem as the ultimate cultural vandal, armed with a can of lyrical spray paint, leaving his irreverent mark on pop culture with every biting quip. If the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef left you craving more audacious disses, Eminem’s latest offering is here to satisfy that hunger.
Just remember, some of these zingers are coming straight from the mouth of Slim Shady, not Marshall Mathers himself—so take them with a pinch of salt.
Now, let’s dig into the details and break down everyone who found themselves in the crosshairs of Eminem’s latest lyrical assault.
Christopher Reeve
“With Christopher Reeve’s luck (Woah, woah-woah-woah-woah) / Shady, Jesus, what the fuck? / Oh, here comes Marshall to try to clean this up (Shut up) / What’s the matter, Marshall? Your penis tucked?”
— “Trouble”
Eminem’s Slim Shady persona takes a dark trip down memory lane with a biting reference to the late Superman star, Christopher Reeve, alluding to the tragic horse-riding accident that left the actor paralyzed from the neck down. This isn’t Em’s first time bringing Reeve into his rhymes. In fact, his history with Reeve goes way back to The Marshall Mathers LP, where he lobbed insults at the actor on tracks like “Who Knew” and “I’m Back.” Reeve has arguably been one of Em’s most frequent targets, with disses appearing in numerous songs like “Rain Man,” “My First Single,” and D12’s “Purple Pills.”
“Dance until you’re wheelchair-bound, here we go / Yеah, horseback, little do-si-do / Little bit of soul mixеd with some rodeo / Everybody in the world’s gonna laugh to this / Shit, I’ll probably end up crippled after this, come on”
— “Brand New Dance”
The Reeve references keep rolling in “Brand New Dance,” where Slim Shady invites the late actor to dance—a playfully cruel joke considering:
- Reeve was paralyzed.
- He’s no longer alive.
“Yeah, but you pick on handicapped people with no limbs / Well then, fuck you, Chris Reeves, and the horse that he rode in”
— “Road Rage”
Christopher Reeve, or as Slim mischievously puts it, “Reeves,” takes another hit in this track, where Slim can’t resist poking fun at the horse involved in the accident that paralyzed Reeve. It’s a grim reminder of Slim Shady’s relentless nihilism, especially as he takes his final bow.
“And I know that Chris Reeves song was recorded in 2004 for ‘Encore’ / Fuck’d you take it off for? / ‘Cause he died, man, that motherfucker did that bullshit on purpose to ruin the song for us!”
— “Guilty Conscience 2”
Even in Guilty Conscience 2, Slim Shady just can’t let Reeve rest. Here, he confesses to originally recording “Brand New Dance” for Encore, only to pull it after Reeve’s death in 2004—just a month before the album’s release. Slim paints it as if Reeve’s passing was a deliberate move to spoil the song, showing once again that when it comes to his alter ego, no one is safe from his biting humor.
Diddy
“Next idiot ask me is getting his ass beat worse than / Diddy did Cassie / But on the real, though / She probably ran out the room with his fuckin’ dildo / He try to field goal punt her, she said to chill / Now put it back in my ass and get the steel toe”
— “Antichrist”
On The Death of Slim Shady, Eminem directs much of his venom toward Diddy, a figure with whom he’s had a rocky relationship. Back in 2018, on his Machine Gun Kelly diss track “Killshot,” Eminem notoriously accused Diddy of orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s murder. Diddy reportedly responded to this on Joe Budden’s podcast, implying that the issue was being taken care of. But judging by Eminem’s latest shots, it seems like things are far from settled.
In “Antichrist,” Em references the infamous 2016 Diddy and Cassie video that leaked earlier this year, throwing in a cheeky “no Diddy” joke to add fuel to the fire.
“We can just say (What?)/I’m like an R-A-P-E-R (Yeah) / Got so many S-As (S-As), S-As (Huh) / Wait, he didn’t just spell the word ‘rapper’ and leave out a P, did he? (Yep)”
— “Fuel”
Eminem continues his Diddy disses with a nod to the numerous abuse allegations that have plagued the entertainment mogul. While this might be one of Em’s less creative jabs on the album, it still hits its mark.
“This is subterfuge, just to screw with you / And yeah, this much is true / This sounds like something that Puff would do / At the party with Aaron Hall ’cause I just love to fuck with you”
— “Bad One”
In yet another swipe at Diddy, Eminem alludes to the alleged sex parties linked to the Bad Boy Records founder, which have fueled various accusations against him. Em’s lines suggest that when it comes to Puff, he’s more than happy to stir the pot.
Caitlyn Jenner
“Holy shit, Cait’ Jenner just flipped (Yo) / Told me knock this shit off and quit, and get off her dick (Damn)”
— “Evil”
In this line, Slim Shady takes a jab at Caitlyn Jenner’s gender transition. The quip seems to either mock her journey or play on the idea that he’s unaware she had gender-affirming surgery years ago. Or perhaps, it’s all metaphorical. Whatever the intention, it’s a sharp, quick-witted barb aimed at the former reality TV star.
Candace Owens
“And Candace O, I ain’t mad at her (Ah) / I ain’t gon’ throw the fact bitch forgot she was Black back at her / Laugh at her like them crackers she’s backin’ after her back is turned / In a cute MAGA hat with her brand-new White Lives Matter shirt (Haha, nope) / Or say this MAGA dirtbag in a skirt”
— “Lucifer”
This might be one of the most cutting verses on the entire album. Em takes Candace Owens to task with a brutal joke about her support for MAGA, blending sharp humor with a complex rhyme scheme. This is Slim Shady at his most precise, delivering a verbal uppercut that showcases his lyrical prowess.
“Yeah, this whole sub-genre with all these corny white rappers, I’m not a fan of it / It ain’t my fault, but like sock puppets, I had a hand in it / This thousand bucks in my hand is just like what Candace did / When she turned her back on her own race ’cause I have abandoned it”
— “Bad One”
If you’re fed up with Black conservatives or unimpressed by the wave of corny white rappers who followed in Em’s footsteps post-2009, you’ll appreciate this one. In a clever double-hit, Em throws shade at the uninspired rappers he unintentionally influenced, and then turns his aim back on Candace Owens.
Unsurprisingly, Owens didn’t take these disses lying down. She fired back by labeling Eminem an “internally gay man” and urged his fans to “pray” for him. Given Em’s history, don’t be surprised if this sparks even more disses in the near future.
Amber Heard
“We squashed the beef like a hamburger patty, or should I say gigantic turd? / ‘Cause I put that shit to bed like Amber Heard at a Mattress Firm (Slut)”
— “Lucifer”
In this line, Em references Johnny Depp’s infamous claim that Amber Heard left feces in their bed, tying it into his diss with a crude punchline. The added sexist slur amplifies the insult, making this more than just a casual name-drop—it’s a full-on diss aimed at the controversial actor.
Lamar Odom
“So whether you friend or you are foe (Woah) / Far as bars go, even fuckin’ retards know (Yeah) / That as far as smoke with me, I don’t think it’d be smart, so (Woah) / Might as well go lookin’ for smoke with Lamar, bro (Yeah, yeah) / But, Marshall”
— “Lucifer”
Lamar Odom gets caught in the crossfire here as Em compares picking a fight with Slim Shady to doing drugs, much like the former Los Angeles Laker. This isn’t the first time Em has taken a shot at Odom; back in 2013, on his single “Berserk,” he referenced Odom being with “the ugly Kardashian”—a clear nod to Odom’s ex-wife, Khloé Kardashian.
Ye (Kanye West)
“Don’t wanna see me goin’ off the deep end like Ye, ayy (No, nah)”
— “Antichrist”
This diss is pretty straightforward: Over the past decade or so, Kanye has transformed from a socially conscious, pro-Black celebrity into… well, whatever he’s doing now. Em’s jab suggests that Kanye’s behavior has become erratic, hence the mention of him going “off the deep end.”
“Brain is dead, space cadet / Like when ’Ye forgets to take his meds”
— “Bad One”
In another, more pointed barb, Eminem takes aim at Kanye again, this time insinuating that Kanye acts like a “space cadet” when he skips his medication, likely alluding to his alleged bipolar disorder.
Ben Affleck & Seth Green
“With Ben Affleck, me, and Seth Green hangin’ on to the left wing / Of Jeffrey Epstein’s jet screamin’, ‘Hey, don’t forget me’ (Haha)”
— “Antichrist”
Here, Em drops a bizarre, darkly humorous line, roping himself, Ben Affleck, and Seth Green into a fictitious scenario of being on Jeffrey Epstein’s notorious jet. It’s clearly meant as an absurd joke rather than a serious accusation.
DJ Paul
“Like James Todd, now your arms are too short to BK brawl / Indeed, they small like DJ Paul”
— “Fuel”
DJ Paul, who was born with Erb’s Palsy, has a smaller right arm due to the condition, which he often refers to as his “baby arm.” Em’s shot here is small but cheap, taking aim at Paul’s physical condition—a diss that feels unnecessarily harsh.
Alec Baldwin
“Fuck around and get popped like Halyna Hutchins / Like I’m Alec Baldwin, what I mean is buckin’ you down”
— “Fuel”
Eminem references the tragic incident involving Alec Baldwin and the death of Halyna Hutchins in a controversial punchline. Though Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter charges were dropped the same day Em’s album was released, Em still uses the incident to suggest Baldwin is a murderer, making this one of the more controversial disses on the album.
Lizzo
“It’s what it is though, but this is show biz, so things / Ain’t never really truly over ’til Lizzo sings (Like I won’t say that)”
— “Road Rage”
Lizzo has proudly reclaimed the term “fat” as part of her identity, and here, Em plays on the old saying, “it isn’t over until the fat lady sings,” swapping in Lizzo as the modern stand-in for that phrase. It’s a straightforward, if cheeky, nod to the adage.
Megan Thee Stallion
“And you know I’m here to stay ’cause me / If I was to ever take a leave, It would be aspirin to break a fever / If I was to ask for Megan Thee Stallion if she would collab with me / Would I really have a shot at a feat?”
— “Houdini”
In his first single from The Death of Slim Shady, Em references the infamous incident where Megan Thee Stallion was shot in the feet, a moment that shook the industry four years ago. Tory Lanez was found guilty on three charges related to the shooting. While the line is crass, it’s also a clever piece of wordplay, typical of Em’s style.
R. Kelly
“In the coupe leaning back my seat / Bumpin’ R. Kelly’s favorite group, the Black guy pees / In my Air Max 90s”
— “Houdini”
This line takes a childish yet well-deserved jab at R. Kelly, with a pun involving the Black Eyed Peas. While it’s not a diss aimed at the group, it’s a double entendre that works on multiple levels, poking fun at the disgraced artist.
David Carradine
“No, it’s not, it’s embarrassing / Like David Carradine found with a pair of jeans at his ankles and belt ’round his larynx”
— “Guilty Conscience 2”
Even when he’s locked in a battle with his alter ego, Eminem finds time to throw out some dark humor at others’ expense. Here, he references the tragic death of Kill Bill star David Carradine, who passed away in 2009 under circumstances suspected to involve auto-erotic asphyxiation. It’s a grim joke, but in typical Slim Shady fashion, nothing is off-limits.
Ja Rule
“When I say, ‘Fuck midgets,’ I mean Ja Rule (Oh)”
— “Guilty Conscience 2”
No need for deep analysis here. Em’s been beefing with Ja Rule for over two decades, thanks largely to 50 Cent, and he keeps the feud alive with a classic diss: a short joke. Sometimes the simplest insults are the most effective.
MGK (Machine Gun Kelly)
“But I gotta keep going Tyson on Kelly (What?) / I bodied him twice and already / That little motherfucker’s back throwing subs like a food fight at the deli”
— “Bad One”
Looks like Em isn’t quite done with Machine Gun Kelly. Even years after “Killshot,” it seems MGK has been sending subliminal shots Em’s way. In response, Em throws a light jab here, reminding everyone that he’s already taken MGK down twice. Whether this will spark another round of back-and-forth between the two remains to be seen.
Dr. Dre
“Might start a feud with Dre (Yeah) / And ask him to shoot the fade (What it do?)”
— “Evil”
Nothing says vintage Slim Shady like a playful threat against Dr. Dre. Here, Em casually mentions starting a feud with his longtime mentor, running through a hypothetical scenario of violence. It’s clearly just Em continuing their 25-year-old bit, given that he performed with Dre at the Super Bowl and Dre produced multiple tracks on this very album. Still, even when it’s in jest, Slim’s disses pack a mischievous punch.
“But you can all suck my dick, in fact / Fuck them, fuck Dre, fuck Jimmy, fuck me, fuck you, fuck my own kids they’re brats”
— “Houdini”
In true Slim Shady fashion, Em doesn’t stop at Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine—two of his earliest and most important supporters. He even goes so far as to diss himself and his own kids. It’s a thorough takedown, showing that no one, not even Em, is off-limits.
Skylar Grey
“Even when stakes are high as the price of an angus, I filet / By the way, I think I just gave Skylar Gray Hepatitis A (Ew)”
— “Evil”
In another playful jab, Em claims he gave his frequent collaborator Skylar Grey Hepatitis A. It’s cartoonish and ridiculous, but it still counts as a diss. Given that Skylar has vocals on this album and has actively promoted it, it’s safe to say there are no hard feelings—just Slim Shady’s typical brand of humor.
Melle Mel
“Get dissed though and by a pioneer / Who was one of the reasons why I am here / They tell me I should just let that shit go and slide / ’Melle Mel shouldn’t get no reply’ / ‘That man is a legend,’ bitch, so am I”
— “Tobey”
Everyone remembers when Melle Mel took shots at Eminem last year, and of course, Em fired back on last year’s Ez Mil track, “Realest.” But apparently, that wasn’t enough. Em circles back to send a few more light shots Mel’s way, making it clear that he’s not one to let things slide—even when it comes to a pioneer like Melle Mel.
